nelson



2 Sheets-.-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. G. NELSON & F. E. SMITH. GOTTON PRESS. No. 546,242. Patented Sept.10, 1895.

ANDREW BGRAHAM.PHUTO-UMOVWASHINGTC'ND C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' J. G. NELSON & F. E. SMITH.

GOTTON PRESS. No. 546,242. Patented Sept. 10,1895.

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Wih asscs ANDREW B.GRAKAM. PHUTO-LMQWASNINGIOM. 06'

Usiirnn States Patent @rricn.

JABEZ CURRY NELSON AND FERDINAND ELLIS SMITH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA,ASSIGNORS TO THE SMITH SONS GIN AND MACHINE COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,242, datedSeptember 10, 1895.

Application filed June 14, I894. SerialNc. 514,589 (No model.)

To @213 whom it may concern 2 Be it known that we, JABEZ CURRY NELSONand FERDINAND ELLIs SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing atBirminghamin the county of Jefierson and State of Alabama, have inventeda new and useful Cotton-Press, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to cotton-presess; and it has for its object toprovide certain improvements in presses of this character whereby theoperating mechanism for the plunger or follower and" the means forclosing and opening the baling-chamber of the pressbox shall be greatlyimproved in points of durability, strength, and efiiciency.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is toconstruct acottonpress with new and improved means for operating thefollower-block of the press and a novel and efficient construction ofbaling-chamber for the press-box, whereby ready access may be had to allparts of the bale for conveniently tying and removing the same from thepress. \Vith these and other objects in view, which will readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of acotton-press constructed in accordance with this invention, showing thearrangement of the various parts of the press with the side and enddoors of the baling-chainberswung open. Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticalsectional view of the lower part of the press, showing the toggle-leveeoperating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the linen; an of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view at the upper end of thepressbox, showing the arrangement of the side and end doors forinclosing in the baling-chamber. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view onthe line y y of the upper part or bailing-chamber of the press-box. Fig.6 is a detail in perspective of one of the open bearing shoes orsockets.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates an uprightbox-frame constructed of suitable strength timbers in the ordinarymanner and rising from the lower sill-frame 2, that rests on the flooror ground where the press is being operated. The uprightframe 1surrounds and forms a support for the upright press-box 3, that isconstructed in substantially the same manner as the press boxes ofsimilar cotton-presses and is built up within the frame ,1. Thepress-box 3 is provided at its upper end with the balingchamber 4, intowhich the cotton is to be packed under the pressure of theverticallyinoviug follower block or head 5, which works up into thepress-box from the lower end thereof, and said press-box is furtherprovided at one side and below the plane of the baling-chainber 4 withthe offstanding side walls 6, that inclose between the same a receiv ingchamber or pocket, through which the cotton is introduced into the lowerend of the press-box in the ordinary manner, and working between theside walls 6, within the side receiving-chamber, is the swingingdrop-door '7, that provides for closing in the top of the space betweenthe walls 6 when the cotton is being pressed into a bale, and which whendropped down opens up the receiving-chamber for the reception of a freshsupply of cotton. This arrangement for supplying the cotton to thepress-box and for cutting off the supply is well understood by thoseskilled in the art, and needs no further description.

The vertically-moving follower block or head 5 is constructed in theusual manner, and is adapted to press the cotton into a bale between thesame and the fixed press-head 8,

arranged at the upper end of the upright frame 1 and forming the closedtop of the press-box, and said vertically-moving follower block orhead 5has depending from the opposite corners thereof the corner gllld8flYlI1S9,that are securely connected together by intermediate braces 10, andsaid depending guide-arms are arranged so as to rest on the sills of thebottom sill-frame 2 when the fol-.

attached to the under side thereof on the v IOI) The follower block orhead 5 has pivotally pivot pin or bolt 11 the upper ends of the paralleltoggle-levers 12, the lower ends of which are connected together andpivotally secured to one end of the horizontal rack-lever 13 on thepivot pin or bolt 14. The horizontal rack-lever 13 is provided on theunder side thereof with an ordinary rack-bar 15 and is supported to workin a horizontal plane at the lower end of the frame 1 directly above thesill-frame 2, and said horizontal rack-lever is guided to work withinthe short upright guide frame 16, supported centrally Within the lowerend of the frame 1 and extend ing slightly above the frame 2. The guideframe or housing 16 supports therein a top retaining roller 17, thespindle or journal eX- tremities 18 of which are mounted in the oppositesides of the frame or housing 16, and said roller is arranged directlyover the top 20 of the horizontal rack-lever 13,in order to rerain orhold the same properly in position to keep the rack-bar 15 thereofconstantly in mesh with the operating-pinion 19. The opcrating-pinion 10is mounted on the pinionshaft 20 that is journaled at its opposite endsin the bearing-boxes 21 at opposite sides of the sill-frame, and on oneextremity of the shaft 20 is mounted the worm-gear 22, with the underside of which meshes the worm 23.

0 The worm 23 is arranged on the inner end of the horizontaloperatingshaft 24, that is journaled in suitable bearing at one side ofthe bottom sill-frame 2, and has mounted on the outer end thereofsuitable pulleys 25 to 5 provide convenient means for rotating the shaft:24 in either direction according as the follower-block is to be movedup or down. A pair of spaced toggle-legs 26 are pivoted at their upperends on the pivot pin or bolt 26 to the toggle-levers 12 at apointintermediate of their ends, and the lower unpivoted ends of thetoggle-legs 26 are rounded, as at 26*,

to work loosely in the open bearing shoes or sockets 27. The openbearing shoes or seek- 5 ets 27 are arranged at opposite sides of thehorizontal rack-lever and are securely fastened on a cross-sill 28 ofthe lower sill-franie 2. The open bearing shoes or sockets 27 consist ofan attaching-plate 30 and a substantially socket-inclosing rim or flange31, arising from the plate and open at one end to admit of the lowerends of the toggle-legs 26 working freelyin and out of the spaceinclosed by the rim or flange when the follower block or head islowering to the lower end of the press-box. It will be obvious that whenthe gearing is operated to force the follower block or head upwardwithin the press-box to bale the cotton the toggle-legs 26 will assume asubstantially vertical position, with their lower ends resting in theshoes or sockets, so as to sustain and carry in this position almost theentire pressure of the bale, while, on the other hand, by reason of thesocket inelosing rim or flange being open at one end when thefollower-block has reached the lower end of the press-box the lowerrounded ends of said toggle-legs will draw out of their workingpositions within the said shoes or sockets, and will thereby prevent anystraining or breaking of parts, since the motion of the pinionshaft 20does not quite stop when the followerblock has reached the lower end ofthe press box.

The upper part of the press-box 1 ,which is ordinarily termed thebalingchamber, when the press packs upward, is opened at the sides andthe ends, and when the cotton is being pressed into a bale thebaling-chamber is inclosed in at the opposite sides by the oppositepairs of swinging side doors 32, which when closed have their free endsmeet at the center of the sides of the bale, in order to prop erlyinclose in the opposite sides of the baling-chamber. The opposite pairsof swinging side doors 32 essentially consist of the horital rails 33anda series of closely-arranged door-slats 34:, secured to the innersides of the said rails, and both of the horizontal rails of each doorare pivotally secured at one end in the hinge-brackets 35, which arefastened to the corner uprights or posts of the upright frame 1. Theopposite pairs of side doors 32 not only serve to temporarily inclose inthe opposite sides of the baling-chaniber of the press-box, but alsoprovide means for adjust ing the opposite pairs of end doors 36. Thedoors 36 are arranged in pairs, and are adapted to inclose in theopposite ends of the baling-chamber, and said doors 36 also consist ofthe parallel rails 37 and a series of closelyarranged door-slats 38,that are fastened to the inner sides of said rails.

The horizontal rails 37 of the end doors 36 are extended beyond thedoor-slats 37 at one end and are pivotally connected by the pivot beltsor pins 39 to the upper and lower horizontal rails 33 of the side doors32, so that each side door will have an end door pivotally connectedthereto near the pivoted end thereof. \Vhen the side doors 32 areclosed, the end doors are adapted to fit inside of opposite ends of theupright frame and to meet at their free ends at the center of theopposite ends of the bale in order to properly inclose in the oppositeends. The end doors of each opposite pair have attached to their outersides near the upper and lower edges thereof at the moving ends thebeveled engagement-lugs 40, that are adapted to bear or engage againstthe inner beveled sides 41 of the upper and lower retaining-plates -12,that are secured to suitable cross pieces or bars 43 of the frame 1 atthe top and bottom of the end doors 36. The inner beveled sides 41 ofthe retaining-plates 42 are provided with double bevels orreversely-beveled portions to provide for receiving inengagement-therewith the lugs 40 of both end doors, so that when theopposite pairs of side doors are losed and the end doors also closed inalignment with each other the said retainingplates will hold the meetingunpivoted ends of the end doors firmly in position to prevent the samefrom springing outwardly while the cotton is being baled; but by reasonof the beveled joint between the lugs of the end doors and theretaining-plates therefor it will be understood that when the side doorsare swung open the end doors will easily slip from behind theretaining-plates 42, and the great outward pressure of the bale willtherefore not hold or keep the end doors from opening readily when theside doors are released.

When the side doors are closed, the same are held locked in position bymeans of the swinging lock-bars 43. The swinging lockbars 43 are hingedat their upper ends, as at 4%, to opposite sides of the frame 1 at theupper end thereof, and said lock-bars 43 are adapted to be sprungdownward outside of the side doors over the meeting ends thereof to holdthem firmly in position, and pivotally secured in the unpivoted ends ofthe bars 43 V are the L-shaped hooks 45, that are adapted to be engagedat one end over the turning releasing-rods t6. The turningreleasing-rods 46 are mounted on the frame 1 at opposite sides thereofand are provided at their outer ends with the handle-cranks 47, whichare manipulated by the hand to release the hooks \Vhen the hooks 45 areengaged over the rods 46, the bars -13 will beheld in a position to holdthe side doors locked, and by turning the rods 46 in one direction itwill be seen that the hooks t5 will be raised and released by reason ofthe great friction with which the said hooks engage over the rod.

The herein-described features complete the improvements contemplated bythe present invention, and the advantages therefor will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton press, the combination with the sill frame, the uprightpress box, and the low the press box, and having a rack bar on its underside, an operating pinion mounted in said guide frame or housing andmeshing with the teeth of said rack bar lever, worm gear- 'ing forrotating said pinion, a retaining roller mountedin the guide frame orhousing above the rack bar lever, two toggle levers pivotally connectedat one end to one end of the rack bar lever, and at their other ends tothe under side of said follower, stationary open bearing shoes orsockets secured on the sill frame,

said bearing shoes or sockets having socket inclosing rims or flangesopen at one end, and a pair of toggle legs pivoted at their upper endsto the toggle lever and provided with lower-rounded ends working looselyin said shoes or sockets and adapted to slide in and out of the samethrough the open ends thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cotton press, the combination with the upright box frame, andthe press box open on all sides at its upper end; of opposite pairs ofswinging side doors hinged at their ends to the corner posts of said boxframe, opposite pairs of end doors pivoted at one end to the side doors,and means for securing the unpivoted ends of the side and end doors whenclosed, substantially as set forth.

In a cotton press, the combination with the upright box frame and thepress box open on all sides at its upper end; of opposite pairs ofswinging side doors hinged at one end to the corners of said box frame,and adapted to have their free ends meet when closed at the centers ofthe opposite sides of the press box, opposite pairs of end doors pivotedat one end to the side doors near the hinged points of the latter, saidend doors being provided with up per and lower beveled engagement lugsat the free ends thereof, upper and lower retaining plates secured tothe upright box frame and provided with inner beveled sides adapted toreceive in registering contact said engagement lugs when the end doorsare closed, and means for securing the side doors closed, substantiallyas set forth.

a. In a cotton press, the combination with the upright box frame, thepress box open on all of its sides at its upper end, and the follower;ofopposite pairs ofswingingside doors, swinging lock bars hinged attheir upper ends to the upright frame at its upper end and on oppositesides, said lock bars bein adapted to be swung' down over the meetingends of the side doors to hold" the same closed, L shaped hooks pivotedat one extremity to the unpivoted ends of said lock bars, and horizontalrotatable releasing rods mounted in a fixed position at opposite sidesof the upright frame and provided at both ends with handles, said rodsbeing adapted to he frictionally engaged at an intermediate point by theunpivoted end of the hooks of said lock bars, whereby said unpivotedends of the hooks can be automatically raised and disengaged from saidreleasing rods by turning the latter in one direction, substantially asset forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JABEZ conn'r unison. FERDINAND name store.

Witnesses:

A. W. SMITH, E. L. SMITH.

